Ghosts Of The Past
by Beauityofeden
Summary: Leah Lanier had always wondered about who her parents were and what happened to them so she finds the friends from China beach to help calm those ghosts and unanswered questions. Summary sucks I know. Two Female /OC. Boonie Lanier, McMurphy and a few other characters from the show are featured in the story. Enjoy! Rated M
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**

**I don't own anything to do with China Beach etc. I do own my own two female /OC characters in the story.**

* * *

**Author's note**

**I came up with this story after watching a rerun of the show on tv this weekend. Season 4 Episodes Hello Good-bye part 1 and 2. **

**I found the story about the boy in the pants sad and it had such amazing acting, etc. So I took that story along with a few other ideas from other episodes **

**and came up with my own story. **

**My story isn't or will probably accurate since my female /OC is a former female soldier who was a Lieutenant, sorry if anyone doesn't like that idea.**

**Some of the characters from the show are featured in the story. Sgt. Bob Pepper I decided to make him Brendan's father long story on why I did that  
**

**will be another story for another day pretty much. **

* * *

**Characters**

**Lt. Brendan Rose Shannon**

**Sgt. Lawrence "Lurch" McClintock**

**Leah Colleen McClintock Lanier**

**Boonie** Lanier

**Lt. Colleen McMurphy**


	2. Chapter 2

"**No event in American history is more misunderstood then the Vietnam War. It was misreported then, and it's misremembered now."**

**Richard M. Nixon**


	3. Chapter 3

"Do you remember my father?"

McMurphy looks up and smiles slowly nodding.

"Yeah, Yeah I do."

McMurphy stares at the girl across from her asking her questions for the China Beach Reunion Boonie was having.

"Your mother and father loved each other very much. They loved you very much." McMurphy says slowly and softly.

"Could you tell me about him? Dad never talks about the day my father died. I don't even know his name."

McMurphy looks over at Boonie who was talking away to Dodger and Dr. Richard.

"Boonie wants to keep you safe." She looks back at Leah. "He just wants you to remember only good things about the two people who loved you so much on

this earth that's all."

Leah Colleen McClintock Lanier was Boonie's pride and joy. She was now twenty years old and very much like her parents in many ways.

"I have a right to know who they were and what they are like."

McMurphy slowly nods and softly sighs.

"I loved your mother." She gives a little laugh. "Then again everyone pretty much loved your mother. Brendan should have been a boy, everyone said that and

to be honest she proved herself over and over each time. Each time she came back to China Beach to see us, to spend time with you and your father. The both

of them lived for you, for each other and everyone."

Leah leans in close a little bit folding her hands upon her lap.

"I don't remember much about her. I remember she was pretty and had a nice laugh."

McMurphy smiles.

"You look like her so much. You are her daughter in every way."

Leah smiles and nods.

"Please, tell me about my father."

McMurphy clears her throat.

"Lurch was his nickname, his real name was Lawrence F Mcclintock. He was called Lurch since he was so tall and quiet." They laugh. "He was handsome and

had the most amazing sky blue eyes I have ever seen. When those eyes found your mother that's where those eyes stayed."

Leah smiles.

"How did he die?"

Boonie comes over with Dodger standing with McMurphy.

"What are you two talking about over here?"

Leah looks at him and smiles.

"Colleen was going to tell me about my father since you don't"

Boonie looks at McMurphy and slowly nods.

"I never wanted you to know the sad parts of your parents lives there in Vietnam Leah. I promised your mother that you would always be happy."

Leah smiles and holds his hand.

"Dad I am happy. But I want to know that part of my life, please?"

Boonie slowly nods and looks at McMurphy.

"It was my last day at China Beach, I was going home the next day and was looking forward to seeing you and your mother that night. She was suppose to

come there after going on R&R or something like that I don't remember for sure."

She softly sighs.

"Um, a chopper arrived and I spotted your mother jumping off it and Boonie meeting her. I watched them talking and saw the look upon her face that

something was very wrong. I have never seen your mom look upset like that before, almost in a state of panic."

Leah looks at Boonie who's voice trembles as he speaks.

* * *

**Then**

"**Brendy! What are you doing here? You're not suppose to be here until tonight!"**

**Boonie shouts over the noise of the chopper.**

"**We got attacked at the fire base, no one saw it coming. Lurch..." She looks at Boonie with tears in her eyes.**

"**Lurch is injured Boonie and it's really bad."**

**Boonie hugs her tightly.**

"**Where is he?"**

"**I called in a chopper but they didn't come in time, we have so many wounded so I got someone to bring them in by tank."**

**A tank soon arrives carrying some of the wounded. They rush over as did the nurses and doctors.**

**McMurphy rushes over to Brendan and Boonie.**

"**Are you hurt?"**

**Brendan shakes her head and grabs her hand staring into her eyes.**

"**Lurch, he's hurt really bad McMurphy."**

**She nods and everyone soon unloads the wounded.**

* * *

**Now**

"I have never seen your mother in a state of panic. She was jumping from fear, anger to sadness. She didn't know which emotion to turn off or on. Trying to

keep her calm and still was a difficult thing to do since no one could ever do that."

They laugh and then his smile fades. McMurphy clears her throat and holds Leah's hand tightly.

"I came out of the x-ray room and met her outside with Boonie to speak to her."

* * *

**Then**

"**Bren." **

**McMurphy says as she walks slowly up to them. Brendan rushes over to with Boonie at her side. **

"**Please can I see him? How is he?"**

**McMurphy takes her hand and leads her inside to the x-ray room.**

"**Hi Bren." **

**Brendan nods at the doctor and nurse.**

"**This is an x-ray of Lurch's back and this is his spine. Bren his spine has been severed and those pants he's wearing is keeping him from bleeding to death."**

**Brendan felt her knees buckle as Boonie holds her tightly. McMurphy grabs a nearby chair and they help her sit down as Boonie goes to get her some **

**water.**

**Boonie soon returns handing her the water and kneels down by her side upon the floor.**

"**There isn't anything you can do?"**

**Brendan looks up from the cup she was holding hands trembling. McMurphy slowly shakes her head. **

"**No. I'm sorry Bren."**

**Brendan covers her face with her hands sobbing heavily into them. Boonie pulls her close holding her tightly as she cries rubbing her back gently.**

"**Brendan, he's awake and he knows you were on your way here. He..doesn't know yet about how really bad his injury is." McMurphy quietly says.**

* * *

**Now**

"Her world fell apart that second that I told her he was going to die."

Leah looks at Boonie who wipes a tear from his eyes.

"Is that why she sent me to you? Because she couldn't take care of me because of grief?"

Boonie shakes his head and smiles.

"No Leah."

Leah gets up from the chair staring at everyone.

"Is there a secret you're not telling me or something?" She angrily says. "I feel like everyone knows something more than I do and no one is telling me

anything!"

Leah rushes off to the bathroom.

Boonie sighs and sits down on her chair.


	4. Chapter 4

"She is very much like Brendan. Hard headed, stubborn and sometimes insane."

He smiles and looks up at McMurphy and Dodger.

"God I miss them so much."

Dodger slowly nods.

"When I first met Shanny seeing she was a woman gosh I was hitting the roof giving her a hard time. Told her she should be at home making cookies, getting

married and having babies."

Dodger chuckles and blinks away the tears.

"I envied Lurch because he had it all. Well to all of us it at the time it seemed like he had it all. I cherish every moment with knowing them."

Leah was sitting on the stairs when McMurphy comes and sits down beside her.

"I know it seems like we are hiding things from you but we're not."

Leah looks up at her and stares at her.

"I know everyone had it hard in Vietnam and the world was against everyone who were there, but they were my parents. I had a life with them before coming

to America and I don't even remember much about it."

McMurphy slowly nods.

"No one knows what happened to my mother after the fall of Saigon. She put me on a plane and that was it, I came to America and was raised by my dad. Do

you think she died?"

McMurphy slowly shrugs and sighs.

"Your grandfather and grandma Lila tried to find information about her. But it turned up nothing and your dad even tried to find something about it. Have you

met your real father's family?"

Leah nods.

"Yeah when I was a little kid, dad took me to Littleton, Colorado to meet my grandparents. I used to spend summers there with them. They are really nice

people."

McMurphy smiles.

"You and dad think she's dead too don't you?"

Leah wipes a tear away.

McMurphy didn't really know how to answer this question. It was something that had went through her mind a million of times and in reality of it all she did

think Brendan was gone.

"I don't know Leah. I really don't know" She softly says. Leah nods.

"Leah."

She looks up and sees Boonie standing there before walking down a few steps and sitting down beside her. He hands her a box.

"Open it."

Leah opens the box to find photos and medals inside it.

"Your mother gave me these to give to you when you go older. Here is a picture of your father."

He takes out the photo showing her. He was holding her in his arms smiling so proudly at the camera.

"Some of the medals are hers and his, I brought the box with me because I thought you would like to look through it, I don't know."

Leah smiles and stares at the photo of her parents together looking happy holding a new born Leah.

"Tell me the rest please."

McMurphy nods and takes the picture of Lurch staring at it.

* * *

**Then**

**Brendan leans against the wall outside staring at her hands as Boonie watches her. **

"**What am I going to do without him Boonie?"**

**She sniffs and wipes her eyes. **

**Boonie holds her hand tightly and gently kisses it. **

"**I will help you, I will always help you and be there for you and Leah." **

**Brendan begins to cry and Boonie pulls her close holding her. He gently kisses her head.**

"**Everything is going to be alright." He softly whispers against her head.**

"**This isn't fair! This isn't fair!" Brendan gets angry hitting Boonie in the chest with her fists.**

"**Oh god!" She sobs heavily.**

**Boonie continues holding her as she cries.**

"**Bren."**

**Brendan turns to look to see McMurphy standing there.**

"**I'm going to take you to him now."**

**Brendan nods wiping her eyes and follows her inside.**

**Brendan spots him lying there on the stretching and stops walking almost frozen in place. **

"**I could do it for you Bren if you want." Boonie softly whispers behind her.**

"**No, I have to do this."**

**She walks over to him and forces a smile. Lurch smiles back at her as she joins him at his side by the stretcher.**

"**Your okay?"**

**She nods and touches his forehead gently stroking it. **

"**Yeah I'm fine." **

**He smiles and notices something in her eyes, his smile suddenly fades.**

"**What's wrong?"**

**He looks from Brendan, Boonie to McMurphy.**

"**Bren?"**

**Brendan softly sighs as she fought the tears from falling. **

"**Ah, I spoke to the doctor and well as you noticed you are wearing these weird looking pants right?"**

**He nods.**

"**Well these pants are like a tourniquet for the lower half of your body because..." Her voice begins to tremble slightly as she whispers, "You severed **

**your spine."**

**Brendan becomes quiet seeing the shock look upon his face as he looks from her to everyone else. **

"**What are you saying?" He looks at McMurphy.**

"**Once we deflate the pants you will bleed to death." **

**Lurch gasps out and stares at Brendan sobbing slightly momentarily.**

"**Do you want a chaplin Lurch?" **

**The doctor appears behind McMurphy.**

"**Yeah I do." He looks at Brendan.**

"**In my shirt pocket look inside it Boonie."**

**Boonie looks in his shirt pocket finding a box and he opens it.**

**Brendan smiles at the ring inside and wipes the tears away.**

"**On our R&R I was going to ask you to marry me, but now..." **

**He stops talking for a moment.**

"**I want you and Leah to be taken care of when I'm gone. I want to see you for the last time as my wife." Tears fall down his cheeks.**

"**Please marry me." He whispers softly as she nods.**

"**Yes, yes I do." **

**Lurch looks at the doctor smiling. **

"**Please get the Chaplin for me." **

**The doctor smiles and rushes off. **

"**I'm sorry Bren for leaving you and Leah now." **

**Brendan shakes her head. "No, no please don't say your sorry Lurch. I am so lucky to have met you and love you." She smiles and kisses his forehead.**

"**Promise me something?"**

**She nods and looks at him.**

"**Don't dwell on this moment, of my death. I want you to go home, make a life for yourself and Leah. Do it for me and just live how I would want you to live." **

**Brendan begins to break down slightly.**

"**Please stop talking like that."**

"**Bren promise me please. I want you to live your life, get a career, get out of this place. Maybe some day get married and have a little brother or sister **

**for Leah." He chuckles.**

**Brendan's lips tremble as she speaks. **

"**How am I suppose to forget you? I love you so much. Please don't ever ask me to forget you."**

**Lurch's voice trembles in pain and sorrow. "I love you so much too."**

**Soon the Chaplin arrives.**

* * *

**Now**

Leah wipes the tears away.

"He wanted her to live for him, didn't he?"

Boonie nods and kisses her head.

"Your parents have seen the best and worst of it all over there. They were so strong and at that moment I saw them in a different light you know."

Leah nods at McMurphy.

* * *

**Then**

**Brendan takes his hand and holds it tightly even though he couldn't feel anything. **

"**Do you Lawrence "Lurch" McClintock take Brendan Rose Shannon as your wife for better and for worse, richer and for poor until death do you part?"**

**Brendan felt those words sting in her heart. **

**Lurch smiles proudly at Brendan. "I do."**

"**Do you Brendan Rose Shannon take Lawrence "Lurch" McClintock as your husband for better and for worse, richer and for pooor until death do you part?"**

**Brendan wipes the tears away and happily smiles. "I do."**

**Brendan looks at everyone in shock. "I don't have a ring for Lurch." **

**The doctor takes a ring off his finger handing it over to the chaplin.**

"**Please take it and use it."**

**Boonie takes the ring and holds onto it.**

"**Please now exchange the rings. Repeat after me. With this ring I thee wed."**

**Boonie takes Brendan's hand and slips the ring upon her finger for Lurch. "With this ring I thee wed." **

**Brendan now you do the same for Lurch. She takes his ring and slips it upon his finger and smiles through tears. "With this ring I thee wed."**

"**In the power invested in me. I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may now kiss the bride."**

**Brendan leans over and kisses him. She rests her forehead agianst his for a moment and stares into his sky blue eyes as the tears fall. **

"**Thank you for loving me." He smiles and whispers to her. **

"**It's me who should be thanking you for loving me and putting up with me for the last three years." **

**He laughs and smiles. "It was a pleasure and worth it."**

**She pulls away and knew what was coming next. **

"**I have to get the equipment to use to take these pants off."**

* * *

**Now**

Boonie kisses Leah's head.

"Your mom was so strong even when her heart was breaking into a million pieces."

Leah slowly nods and wraps his arm around so he hugs her.

McMurphy leans back against the step.

"That's when I saw the light disappear from your mother's eyes." McMurphy softly says.

* * *

**Then**

**The doctor leaves for a moment.**

**Lurch looks up at Brendan who had her head turns trying to fight back the tears. **

"**Bren." He whispers. "Please look at me."**

**She slowly turns her head to look at him and lays her head against his chest crying.**

"**I don't want you to die, you can't leave me." **

**She looks up at him and into his eyes.**

"**I don't want to die either, I want to be a family with you and Leah. But it's time to say good-bye."**

**Brendan shakes her head crying.**

"**No! No! I don't want to say good-bye! Please don't leave me Lurch."**

**He stares at her with his heart paining with sadness and sorrow.**

"**Come closer to me Bren." She rests her forehead against his. **

"**I will never leave you because I will always be safe in your heart. Plus we have Leah who's part of you and I."**

**Brendan looks at him and kisses him wiping the tears from his cheeks. **

**The doctor returns and looks at them. **

"**Ready?"**

**Lurch slowly nods and looks up at Brendan.**

"**I loved you since the first day I set my eyes upon you when you came to the fire base." He smiles at the memory. "I knew then and there I wanted to **

**make you mine to love you forever."**

**She smiles and presses her fingers against her lips trying not to lose control. **

"**This isn't a good-bye Bren, because good-byes means we'll never meet again and we will in another life time."**

**Brendan closes her eyes softly sobbing. She opens them and leans over kissing Lurch passionately. She slowly pulls away seeing his eyes were closed.**

"**Lurch?" She looks at McMurphy and then at the doctor.**

"**Lurch! No! No!"**

**Boonie gently wraps his arms around her holding her close as he tries to pull her away from Lurch.**

"**No! No! He's not dead! He's not gone! Oh god please don't leave me! Don't leave me!"**

**Brendan screams out over and over as she collapses to the ground crying with Boonie holding her gently rocking her as she cries. **

"**Why did you leave me. Why?" She mutters over and over.**

* * *

**Now**

Leah looks at Boonie and McMurphy as they wipe their eyes.

"You are the greatest gift to your mom Leah. You are what kept her going." McMurphy smiles at her.

"You know we should go to the wall, in Washington, D.C"

Boonie suggests and looks at Leah and McMurphy.

"Yeah sure why not."

They get up and walk back inside to the party.


	5. Chapter 5

**_"Let all know that the United States of America pays tribute to the members of the Armed Forces who served honorably in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam Era."_ **

* * *

Bob and Lila look over at Leah as she walked with Boonie holding his hand resting her head upon his arm.

"I wish I knew what happened to her Lila. That little girl deserves a right to know about what happened to her momma."

Lila slowly nods and kisses him. "I know Bob."

Everyone looks around at the wall at the names written upon it. There was a heaviness in the air of sadness for all those who died. For those they knew, for

those they didn't know. Plus for Brendan and Lurch.

Leah places some blue roses on the ground against the wall and took off two dog tags from a chain upon her neck, placing them around the roses. Leah stares

at the wall slowly sighing wiping the tears away from her cheeks.

"I don't know why I'm crying or feeling sad for two people I didn't really know. I only know the stories about you both, pictures and a handful of memories. But

I'm here to say good-bye momma and daddy, thank you for loving me."

She places her hand upon the wall closing her eyes and then gets up from the ground turning to see Boonie who smiles.

"They would both be very proud of you Leah."

She smiles and hugs him tightly. He takes her hand and they walk away together.

* * *

"**I don't know or what happened to my mother, but I do know for sure after hearing so many stories, pictures and everyone sharing their memories of my parents I've come to realize about how much they meant to so many people. I will always wonder about what happened to her after that day on April 30th 1975 when she put my on that chopper during the fall of Saigon. But I do know that if she is anywhere I want her to be with my father and I hope they are now together." **

**~ Leah Colleen McClintock Lanier daughter of Lt. Brendan Shannon-McClintock & Sgt. Lawrence "Lurch" McClintock.**


End file.
